The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

[Here biginneth the ferthe book of Kingis [From Mç. The iiij. of Kinges. P. No initial rubric in the other MSS.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] FORSOTHE Moab trespasside aȝens Is|rael [Moab tres|passide aȝenus Israel; for the king of Moab swoor for him and his rewme, to serue the king of Israel vndur tribute, and he rebell|ide, and brak this ooth. Lire here. C.] , after that Achab was deed. [verse 2] And Ocozie felde thorou the aleris of his soler, which he hadde in Samarie, and was sijk; and he sente messangeris, and seide to hem, Go ȝe, and councele Belzebub, god of Acharon, whether Y may lyue after this sijknesse of me. [verse 3] Forsothe the aungel of the Lord spak to Elye of Thesbi, and seide, Rise thou, and go doun into the metynge of the messangeris of the kyng of Samarie; and thou schalt seie to hem, Whether God is not in Israel, that ȝe go to counsel Belzebub, god of Acharon? [verse 4] For which thing [for which thing; that is, for vnfeithful|nesse. Lire here. C.] the Lord seith these thingis, Thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist. And Elie ȝede. [verse 5] And the messangeris turneden aȝen to Ocozie. And he seide to hem, Whi turneden ȝe aȝen? [verse 6] And thei answeriden to hym, A man mette vs, and seide to vs, Go ȝe, turne ȝe aȝen to the kyng, that sente ȝou; and ȝe schulen seie to him, The Lord seith

these thingis, Whether for God was not in Israel, thou sendist, that Belzebub, god of Acharon, be counselid? Therfor thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist, but thou schalt die bi deeth. [verse 7] Which Ocozie seide to hem, Of what figure and abite is that man, that mette ȝou, and spak to ȝou these wordis? [verse 8] And thei seiden, An heeri man, and gird with a girdil of skyn [of skyn; in Ebreu it is, of lether. C.] in the reynes. Which seide to hem, It is Elie of Thesbi. [verse 9] And he sente to Elie a prince of fifti, and fifti men that weren vndur hym. Which prince stiede to hym, and seide to hym, sittynge in the cop of the hil, Man of God, the kyng comaundith, that thou come doun. [verse 10] And Elie answeride, and seide to the prince of fifti men, If Y am the man of God [if Y am the man of God; verily and not scornefuly. Fier come doun, etc. Elie knew bi reuelacioun, that this prince clepide him in scorn the man of God, and that he con|sentide to the king in the synne of idola|trie and in the punysching of Elie, and so diden thei that weren with the prince; and herfor by Goddis sen|tence, they weren worthi to be punysch|id; wherfor Elie pronouns|ide Goddis sen|tence, and seide, if Y am the man of God, etc.; and so it is of the ij. prince, and hise fifti men. Lire here. C.] , fier come doun fro heuene, and de|uoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride hym, and the fifti men that weren with hym. [verse 11] Eft he sente to Elie another prince of fifti, and fifti men with hym, which spak to Helye, Man of God, the kyng seith these thingis, Haste thou, come thou doun. [verse 12] Elie answeride, and seide, If Y am the man of God, fier come doun fro heuene, and de|uoure thee and thi fifti men. Therfor the fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and de|uouride hym and hise fifti men. [verse 13] Eft he sente the thridde prince [he sente the thridde prince, etc.; this thridde prince. was Abdie, as Ebreis and Cristen doc|tours seyen comynly, and Abdie dredde God gretly, in III. book of Kingis, xviii. c^o., and therfor he mekide him silf bifor God, and Elie his seruaunt. Lire here. C.] of fifti men, and fifti men that weren with hym. And whanne this prynce hadde come, he bow|ide the knees aȝens Elie, and preiede hym, and seide, Man of God, nyle thou dispise my lijf, and the lyues of thi seruauntis that ben with me. [verse 14] Lo! fier cam doun fro heuene, and deuouride tweyne, the firste princis of fifti men, and the fifti men that weren with hem; but now, Y biseche, that thou haue mercy on my lijf. [verse 15] Forsothe [Forsothe lo A.] the aungel of the Lord spak to Helie of Thesbi, and seide, Go thou doun with hym; drede [and drede X.] thou not. Therfor Elie roos, [verse 16] and cam doun with hym to the kyng; and he spak to the kyng, The Lord seith thes

thingis, For thou sentist messangeris to counsele Belzebub, god of Acharon, as if no God were in Israel, of whom thow myȝtist axe a word; therfor thou schalt not go doun of the bed, on which thou stiedist, but thou schalt die bi deeth. [verse 17] Therfor he was deed bi the word of the Lord, which word Elie spak; and Joram, hys brothir, regnyde for hym, in the se|counde ȝeer of Joram [the ij. ȝeer of Joram; in which he regn|ede with his fadir, for he regnede viij. ȝeer with his fadir, for fro that tyme that Josophath was in perel of deth in Ramoth of Galaad, he or|deynede Joram, his sone, king, lest striyf weren among hise sones for the rewme, aftir his deth. Lire here. C.] , the [Om. X.] sone of Jose|phat, kyng of Juda; for Ocozie hadde no sone. [verse 18] Sotheli the residue of wordis of Ocozie, whiche he wrouȝte, whether these ben not writun in the book of wordis of daies of the kyngis of Israel?